


After

by LoviNek



Series: Writing prompts [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky just wants to be left alone, But on his terms, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Steve Wants His Team Back, Steve and Tony may be together earlier, Stubborn Steve, Team Cap is sure they are right, Wanda is manupulative, no one can see it, not team Cap friendly, not wanda maximoff friendly, toward Steve, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-12 13:05:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19132609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoviNek/pseuds/LoviNek
Summary: Team Cap struggling with accepting what happened after Civil War. Steve knows they will come back, that everything will be fixed. In the end they did the right thing, right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will come back to it. One day... I hope so.
> 
> Pro Team Cap, this one is not for you. Read tags, please :)

Two months after:

 

Steve felt like everything was just sliding out from under his feet. He couldn't quite believe in what he was hearing, even as Bucky repeated it few times already. But it couldn't be true. They were together in this. Till the end of the line, right?

“But you... you are remembering. You said it yourself. We can work from it. Together.”

“Steve...” Bucky's voice was slowly changing into something Steve remembered from when he wanted to go to work and his asthma was acting up. The way Bucky was talking when he tried to make Steve see some sense. “I do start remembering. But it's not only you and our past. It's everything.”

“It wasn't you, Bucky. All of the stuff, it was Hydra, not you.” Steve had no idea how many times he repeated it, but he wouldn't stop saying it until Bucky would believe it.

“It still were my hands that did it. And all of the things I saw. It was all me.”

“But you didn't have a choice. They made you!”

“That doesn't matter!!!”

Steve bit his bottom lip as Bucky shouted at him. He let his friend take few seconds to calm down, before he started talking again.

“Bucky, we can work it out. All of us. Wakanda is beautiful, but we can move and live together, you, me and others.” he explained slowly, hoping it would sink in this time.

“I'm not going anywhere, Steve. Doctors are helping me here. And I don't want to be a danger to normal people. Doras at last can stop me here.”

“You're not a danger-”

“Just stop...” Bucky sighed and shook his head, before he looked away. “If you won't talk about anything else, leave. I won't leave and I don't want to hear about it anymore.”

 

 

 

Three months after:

 

“This is just another pretty prison. We can't go in the city, we can't go to another part of the palace. Just like Stark...”

Steve sighed, but he couldn't not agree with Wanda's words. They were told they aren't prisoners, but they couldn't go anywhere. They were followed everywhere and watched all the time. And Steve thought Wakanda would be different from rest of the world.

“Did you saw it?” Clint called from another room. “Stark showed his face finally. Looking good again, asshole.”

Steve walked to the room and looked at tv. Clint was right, Tony looked good. His suit clinging to him like a skin, shades on his face covering his eyes. Steve hated them so much every time Tony used them to hid his eyes and his real feelings from him. Steve remembered when there was a time when Tony took them off for him, for them, for his team. Time before Ultron, before he started being someone they needed to watch more often than trust his words. Someone Steve trusted fully, someone who was at his side and  helping. Someone, who Steve could share his secrets.

“Basking in his glory. It's all his fault. He made us run and hide.” Wanda slid in the room behind him, her eyes focused on screen, red swirling around her fingers.

“We choose to oppose the government, Wanda. We made a good call. They will see it soon. Tony will see it soon.”

Steve touched the phone he had in his pocket all the time, waiting for Tony's call. He knew He will call. He needs to. He will see his mistake and fix it. That what Tony was good in, fixing stuff.

 

 

 

Eight months after:

 

The rain was banging in the small window, being so loud Steve barely could hear small TV in another room. He could barely understand the words, something in language he didn't speak, but Natasha and Clint knew. They would explain it later, after news ended.

They left Wakanda after Scott gave himself to the police and T'Challa warned them he would need to explain how Scott was in his palace. They didn't want to make more problems to king. Steve tried few more times to get Bucky to leave with them, but every time he refused and Steve, as much as it pained him, choose to respect his decision. For now.

“Stark is still on top.” Wanda hummed from her spot on the bed. She was browsing some internet news stations on laptop they stole in last country. “He's recruiting people, working with Council. He's gonna doom us all.”

“Wanda...” he sighed quietly. It wasn't first time he listened to her ranting about Tony.

“You said he will fix it. You said he will change. But he's not doing any of this.” Her eyes flashes and Steve needed to admit she was right. “We need to show them he's wrong. That Accords are wrong. That They are pushing heroes away and letting rats in. We need to show them, Steve”

She... was right. Nothing was changing and they were hiding like criminals. They were running and in the meantime people were getting hurt and Council was keeping Avengers from helping and Tony didn't see it! They needed to do something.

“I... I think you're-”

“Steve?” he heard Natasha's voice and when he looked up she and Sam were standing in the door. “We have news. But we need to pack and leave soon. Someone recognized us.”

He nodded his head. For now they needed to trust each other and keep themselves safe. Wanda's concern, he could talk about it with others later, he was sure they would have some good ideas how to fix it all.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked on this yesterday and Today and as I am in classes whole weekend, this is my work for the weekend.   
> Enjoy :)
> 
> Still not Steve Friendly :)

Ten months after:

Clint was gone. His wife, Laura Steve believed was her name, finally took his call. She let him know that the divorce claim that was called in the news was true and that if he wanted to ever see his children he needed to get himself in. Clint didn't want to and Steve really didn't want him too, but his wife wouldn't budge. He finally agreed and left, his family and children were the most important thing. Steve could understand, but that didn't change that he felt disappointed. Wanda was angry... She was constantly angry and even as Steve wanted to understand, her bad moods were getting on his and everyone nerves here. Natasha and Sam tended to stay away from her, so Steve spend his time with her, not wanting her to feel isolated.

“It's not changing, Steve...” she whispered, red swirling around her fingers as she played with her magic like with a ball. “It's getting worse and worse. We don't have money, we don't get proper stuff, we can't go anywhere. It's worse than in Wakanda. At least we were comfortable there.”

“We made a right choice, Wanda. We're helping people.” Steve tried to explain to her, but it wasn't first time they had this conversation. And every time he felt like Wanda listened to him less and less. “We may be slower than earlier, but we still end where people needs us.”

“But look how we live, Steve! This is a dump! We have trouble getting food and clothes, not talking about weapons and armor. Steve, we are treated like criminals, not heroes.”

“We are not doing it for recognition, Wanda. We're doing it for people.”

“I know, but we should be pay back somehow to do it properly.”

Steve sighed, knowing this conversation was going nowhere. Just like earlier's ones. He wanted to fight her about it, but he needed to say he was right. They were living in dump, running from place to place, hiding. They needed to steal to have enough to eat. It wasn't how heroes should be treated.

“I don't know how to make it better, Wanda.” Steve sighed. “But we are doing the right thing. We need to just wait it out. It will be better.”

“When?”

“Soon, Wanda. It will be better.”

He knew she didn't believe him. He hardly believed himself. But he needed to keep going. For his team, his family and people that were still believing in him..

 

 

 

Fifteen month after:

“What did you do?!

Natasha was furious. Steve shouldn't be surprised, not with what he was seeing, but big part of him still wanted to step in and help Wanda. It wasn't her fault she was rash and didn't think too much about the consequences. She was just so young.

“Nat, she's just a kid. Please, calm down so we can talk about it.”

“Calm down?! Do you see what I see here?” She pointed at unconscious boy on the bed. “It's not us, Steve! We are not criminals! Not real ones! We help people, that what you said! And now...”

“It was clearly just a mistake. She just acted without thinking-”

“No, I didn't!” Wanda shouted angrily. “You can't see? He's one of Stark's. We can use him to make Stark admit he was the one wrong and let us all back to where we should be.”

“Wanda, you know it's not gonna work like that. I know you wanted good, but this-”

“Are you serious?!” Sam asked from behind Natasha. “She kidnapped a kid! Knowing very well what's she doing! Steve, she's going over the board with everything! We are all in it, but she's the one complaining all the time! Well, too bad, princess, we broke laws, we pay for it now!”

“It's was all Stark's fault!”

“It was our choice to follow Steve and his crusade to break Barnes from government's hands.” Sam's eyes ended on Steve and Steve could see anger in them. He knew Sam would follow him then, but right now... His friend wasn't happy with any of his decisions in long time. “Now we are living with this consequences.”

“You two are working behind ours back. Steve, they were plotting, talking about going back to Stark. They want to abandon and betray you.”

Steve blinked, before he looked at Natasha and Sam. He at last looked little ashamed of himself, but Natasha just watched Steve with cold eyes. So it was all true.

“Why?”

“Because you can't see your own faults. This all situation, I thought you knew what you were doing, that you were fighting for greater good. That why I let you go. But this all was only about Barnes.” Natasha's voice was calm now and Steve hated it. That meant she was sure and even if Steve wanted, she knew him too well to know the truth. “What happened in Siberia, Steve?”

“I told you. We went to find Winter Soldiers, but they were dead. Zemo killed them. Then Tony came and I needed to immobilize his suit so Bucky and I could run.”

“Why you fought?” Sam asked. “I send him there. I told him where you were. He went there without help, as a friend. So why you fought?”

“Tony...” Steve swallowed, remembering suddenly how betrayed Tony looked then, his eyes big and teary, how he looked at Steve like his whole heart shattered in that moment.

“You didn't tell him.” Natasha whispered. “You didn't tell him about Starks and Winter Soldier.”

“It wasn't Bucky and you know it!”

“Jesus, Steve!” Sam took step back, eyes huge.

“He wouldn't understand and I was right. Second he knew he tried to kill Bucky. It wasn't Bucky that killed his parents! It was HYDRA!”

“You promised me you will tell him. You did.” Natasha hissed now at him, her green eyes cold and furious. “It all makes sense now. You pushed him away after Ultron so he wouldn't know. So you could still get money to look for Barnes. You were just using him.”

“No, I didn't.” he shook his head. Why they couldn't understand it. “I was sparing him. He couldn't even talk about his father. It happened so long ago, he needed need to dig in the old wound.”

“It wasn't your decision to make, Nor your secret to keep. I shouldn't ever trust you on this. But I did. And now I am here and my family is there.”

“Nat...”

“It's over, Steve. Over for us. I'm going back and I hope I will be forgiven.”

“No, you don't.”

All the door and windows suddenly shut. Steve looked at Wanda. She was surrounded by red, her face pure anger. She was glaring at Natasha and Sam and Steve suddenly feel dredd coming up his spine. He knew she was powerful in a way he couldn't imagine, but he was always sure she wouldn't use her powers against them, against him. Now he wasn't so sure about it.

“Wanda, it's okay. It's their decision...” He tried to calm her down, but one look from her make his throat close.

“They gonna betray us. Sell us. I'm not going back to prison. Not going back in collar. I won't let them do it.” She hissed, red mist swirling around her.

“Wanda...” Sam started, but soon he was just moving his mouth, no word coming out. Second later both Natasha and Sam's eyes flashed red and their whole bodies relaxed. They were just standing there like dolls, not doing anything else.

“We need to leave, Steve.” she said and Steve slowly looked from his best friends to that girl, who he tried to protect that hard. “They will wake up soon, I promise. But we need to leave now. Grab a kid.”

“We're not taking him with us.” Steve shook his head. He wasn't a kidnapper. “Just leave them, Wanda. We will figure it out.”

“I'm sorry Steve, but I need to do it.”

Before he could say anything else red mist came to him and Steve's mind blanked, betrayal the last thought he had.

 

 

 

Sixteen months after:

Steve blinked slowly and looked around. He was in a prison, heavy handcuffs on his wrists he knew he couldn't break. He took a second trying to remember what happened, but there was blankness in his mind only.

“Finally...” Came voice to him and Steve finally focused his eyes on man sitting in the corner of his cell.

“Tony?”

“Rogers.” Tony's voice was so professional, so _normal_ , with no trace of warmth or empathy.

“What happened?” he asked after a second.

“Well, many things. First your little witch kidnapped Harley. Then you went viral, demanding me to fix it all and tell people it was all my fault. Romanoff and Wilson were with you. I found you and when we tried to talk, you all attacked us. Wanda is dead, she and Vision tried to stop each others and when he overpowered her, trying to lock her powers, she blew up. I think it was too much power for her body.” Tony rubbed his face and sighed.

“She blew up?” Steve asked slowly, not quite believing it. Why he couldn't remember it?

“Yes. Second it happened, you and others just dropped to ground. Xavier checked you all and he made sure we knew you all were controlled by her. It took you three weeks before I could talk with you now. Natasha and Sam are still under the spell and we can do nothing else than to wait.”

“Where are we?” It was a prison, Steve knew it, but he didn't know in what part of the world he was right now. They could be anywhere, ever taking Tony was here. He could just fly here in few hours using his armor.

“USA. Prison for enhanced.”

“Tony...” Steve sighed, disappointed. How could Tony...

“What? You thought I will just bail you out? That I will be here at your every whim like I was earlier, cleaning all your messes? It ended, Rogers. No more.”

“You need us. You need me.”

“No, Steve.” his voice changed into something more sad and final and for the first time Steve thought it really may be true in the end. “No matter what happen, we don't need you. If Fury wants he can pick up you and your two followers, but Avengers or I don't need you. If we need supersoldier, we have Barnes.”

“Stay away from Bucky!”

Tony blinked slowly, before he started laughing. “Of course. That's is one person you are most worried about. Not Romanoff or Wilson, who followed you. Just dear, old Bucky.” He stood up finally and straightened invisible wrinkles on his pants with his palms. “Barnes asked to be moved to Avengers to “atone for his sins.” Leaders of Avengers agreed after he went through evaluation. He's still inactive in duty, but doing good, listen to orders, integrate with teams really nicely. He and I... we talked.” his eyes moved again to Steve and he smiled softly, but Steve had a feeling that smile wasn't for him. “I was never angry at him. I was angry, furious and grieving all again and I want him to hurt, right, but I never wanted him to die. But you... you betrayed me, Rogers. Used me and threw me away like a thing. This... I can't never forget.”

“Tony, I... I just wanted... I...” he had nothing to say, no excuse anymore. He wanted protect Bucky, right, but right now it was just plain visible he was just protecting himself.

“Save it, Rogers.”

Tony moved to the door and after opening it he looked back one last time at Steve. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but soon he just closed his mouth and walked out, leaving Steve alone with his thoughts. The sound of closing door sounded just like Steve's life just ended. He just didn't know if there would be another door opening for him.

 

 

Three years after:

Steve looked at the team he was working with. All of them in black tac gear, mask on their faces. They were Fury Special Force and Steve wasn't their leader. He was just one of them, even as most of other soldiers didn't like him that much. Natasha was working with other spies and didn't talk with him anymore. She was trying so hard to get back with Avengers, but they were wary and she just accepted she needed not only be patient, but honest too. No more spy play with them.

Sam was out too, working his way up with Avengers. He was one that was accepted in after months of talking and proving himself. He wouldn't be high in hierarchy anymore, not after he followed Steve, but he could still help people and he was happy about it. He sometimes talked with Steve, told him about Bucky and Tony and others, but not too often. There still was anger in him toward Steve and Steve didn't want to press him. He could wait for his friend.

Bucky was talking with him too, but didn't want to meet yet. He was back in active duty, not too often going on missions, just when he was needed, but he was big into training the youngest members. He still was wary of Steve, but warmed up to him finally. Steve knew Bucky was sad with how it all ended, how he and Tony ended fighting practically about him and Steve apologized about it many times. He knew he needed to apologize to Tony, properly now, but genius didn't want to have anything to do with him.

Steve knew he had no place on Avengers anymore. He was done there. But he could slowly salvage some of his relationships. And first thing he needed to do was apologize to Tony. He hoped some of the feelings they shared earlier were still there and Tony would read his letter, this time written honestly, with apology Tony deserved.

 

“ _Dear Tony...”_

 


End file.
